Jun 24, 2018 Ignition Poker Sign Up: Ignition Poker Review: If your looking for the best real money poker sites 2018 these are our top picks!
Where Are the Best Places to Play for Real Money?
Bovada Poker is one of my cult favorite poker sites since I started playing there for real money in 2004. They're the largest in USA poker player traffic by far and have one of the loosest player bases in the world for any poker site. As well as the poker site reviews listed in the table at the top of this page, we also have more reviews of where to play the Texas Hold'em card game, including some of the most popular and best real money online poker sites: Titan Poker, 888 Poker, Bodog, America's Cardroom, BetOnline, PokerStars, Party Poker, Full Tilt Poker, Betfair Poker, Winner. Ignition Poker Sign Up: Ignition Poker Review: If your looking for the best real money poker sites 2018 these are our top picks! The real money poker sites we’ve recommended to you at the top of this page have some of the slickest and cleanest user interfaces in the industry. The graphics are great, the animations are smooth, and it’s pretty dang easy to bet what you mean to bet when you mean to bet it.
If you’ve ever Googled real money poker sites, you know that there are way too many options even to know where to start. We can tell you from our experience that some of these sites at the top of a search are fantastic, while some of them are awful, shady, and should be avoided like the plague.
If you’re looking for the best and most reputable online real money poker sites with the best action, you’re in the right place. Below, you’ll find an up-to-date list of the best of the best when it comes to poker action online.
Some of you are probably not that quick to make a decision, or you might be in the market for something a little more specific. Maybe you live somewhere where options are hard to find, or you like to play a game that isn’t that popular? Whatever the case may be, we have information and resources to help you out. It’s our belief that anyone in the world that wants to play any variation of poker should be able to without having to drive to a local casino or card room.
For that reason, we have put this guide together. We will talk first about what makes the real money poker sites we recommended the best. Then, we’ll give you some more options for the best action based on where you live or what game you prefer to play. Lastly, we’ll talk about real money online poker tournaments and the growth of mobile poker options in the industry.
If you have a desire to find somewhere awesome to play poker for real money online, you’ve found what you’re looking for. Our experts will give you all of the information and resources you need to make the right decision about where to place your action. There’s a lot of money that can be made playing poker as long as you know where to play. Let us help nudge you in the right direction.
What Makes These Sites the Best
We don’t want to blindly give you recommendations without giving you our backing and reasonings for choosing these. Below, you’ll find the things we felt were the most important reasons that these real money poker sites were the best in the business.
Quality and Quantity of Action Available
What good is a poker site if there is no one there to play with? Or what good is the site if they don’t offer the games or the stakes you’re looking to play? The answer is a thunderous and resounding no good at all. For this reason, we like to look into the quantity and quality of the action offered at a poker site before we’ll consider recommending it.
We don’t want you playing in a ghost town where you can only get a tiny bit of action during primetime on the weekend. We want you to be able to play your favorite games and make some money whenever you’re feeling up to it. Sure, we understand that some sites will be slower mid-week during off-hours, but we still don’t them to be completely dead.
The real money poker sites we’ve recommended above offer some of the most extensive fish-filled action you can find on the web. They offer a lot of different game choices as well as varying stakes from low limit on up the ladder. If you’re tired of playing in ghost towns or playing at poker sites that don’t offer any variety, you’re going to like the options we’ve recommended for you. While we can’t guarantee you’ll be able to find something crazy like $100/$200 Badugi on a Tuesday morning at 9 am, we can tell you that you will find a good amount of action.
Great Promotions and Tournament Guarantees
One thing we’ve always been a big fan of is real money online poker sites that offer great online poker promotions and big tournament guarantees. While this will never be the main reason we join a site, it is something that we like to consider. The sites we’ve recommended above have some of the best promotional offers year-round. Additionally, they run sizeable tournaments with big guarantees. Basically, you can always expect to be playing for big money if you’re a fan of online poker tournaments.
Trust and Reliability
In an industry that definitely has some blemishes on its track record, playing at a trusted and reputable real money poker site is key. You don’t want to worry about getting paid or the validity of the games you are playing. You have enough to focus on at the tables dealing with your opponents and trying to crush their souls. Why give yourself more to worry about? Choose a reliable and trustworthy site, so you can focus all of your efforts on the things that are actually important.
The real money poker sites we’ve recommended at the top of this page fit this bill. We feel like it should be easy to treat your customers right, and these sites agree with us. Sadly, not all of the industry does, and you need to make sure that you avoid those bad apples.
A Great Poker User Interface (Lobby and Tables)
The game of poker has a special way of tilting you without the help from outside sources. When you get rivered, or your opponent hits that miracle card, it can be upsetting. What can make those bad beats even worse is playing on a site that has a terrible user interface. If the site lags, has glitches, or is just uneasy on the eyes, it’s going to make your time playing there terrible.
Not only that, but a tilting interface can make you play worse and lose money. And if the buttons are glitchy and don’t work correctly, you can end up making a play that you didn’t mean to by way of misclick. For this reason, we find it extremely important to use an online poker site that has a great and well-thought-out user interface. Not just for our sanity, but for our bankroll and win rate as well.
The real money poker sites we’ve recommended to you at the top of this page have some of the slickest and cleanest user interfaces in the industry. The graphics are great, the animations are smooth, and it’s pretty dang easy to bet what you mean to bet when you mean to bet it. While we can’t save you from the distracted misclick, we can save you from unforced errors thanks to a cruddy interface by recommending poker sites that have it together.
Fast Payouts
The whole point of playing real money poker online is to make money. Well, we hope that is your goal, at least. Most people that pick up the game do so because they want to beat their opponents and stroll out the virtual door with their cash in hand. When you pull this off, you don’t want to have issues getting delayed strolling out that door because an online poker site has slow payouts.
The real money poker sites we’ve recommended to you at the top of this page have some of the best track records for quick and accurate payouts to players. When you win, you want to take that money home. If an online poker site can’t make this happen quickly, they’re pretty worthless in our book.
Real Money Online Poker by Game
For some of you, you have a particular poker game you like to play. Maybe you’re a Texas Hold’em nut, or you like the four-card action of playing Omaha? Or maybe you’re someone who prefers the player vs. the house action of poker table games? Wherever you fall in this spectrum, we’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find some of the best real money poker sites broken up by the games they have the best action in.
You will see that we have it split up into two categories and then further split into individual links. The two categories represent the main two types of poker you can play in a casino or poker room. The first is probably what you traditionally think about when someone talks about playing poker and what most of this page is dedicated to – player vs. player poker. This is when you sit at the table, and you compete against other players, and the house is only there to help facilitate the game and keep it running.
The second category is casino-style poker games. These are the games where you can play at your own pace, as you’re not playing against other players; you’re playing against the house. If this is more your speed, we’ve got you covered as well.
Player vs. Player Poker Games
As we already mentioned, player vs. player poker games are most likely what you came here in search of. These are the games where you compete against other players from all over the world in cash games, tournaments, or sit and gos. While Texas Hold’em is the most popular variation of online poker, there are other games that can be played as well. Below, you’ll find links to our dedicated real money gaming pages for each of the most popular formats of online poker that you can play. We’ll also give you site recommendations for the best fish-filled action for each game variation that you may be interested in.
Casino-Style Poker Games
While the majority of this guide is directed at player vs. player poker games where the house just takes a rake for coordinating the action, we didn’t want to ignore the casino-style poker games that are offered. These are games where you don’t compete against other players but are pitted against the house. Players who are looking for entertainment and a relaxing version of poker are typically big fans of these types of games.
Below, you’ll find our dedicated pages for each of the most popular forms of casino-style online poker. These pages will give you all of the information you need to get started playing these games as well as some recommendations for the best places to play. If one of these games is your favorite, and you’re looking for some action, click below to get started now.
Real Money Pai Gow Poker
Real Money Three Card Poker
Real Money Caribbean Hold’Em
Real Money Casino Hold’Em
Real Money Three Card Poker
Real Money Caribbean Hold’Em
Real Money Casino Hold’Em
Real Money Poker Sites by Location
Depending on where you live in the world, you’re going to have access to a different number of real money poker sites. Due to always-changing legislation, certain countries and even certain states and regions within those countries are going to have more options than other places. For example, Ignition Poker might not be available where you live, so it wouldn’t make sense to recommend that you play there.
With that being said, knowing which the best sites available are will depend heavily on where you are. For example, the best site for someone living in Nevada in the United States might be different than the best site for someone living in Manchester, England.
To help you see the best options for your area, we’ve created dedicated pages for the major countries and regions throughout the world. Each page will have specific information and site recommendations pertinent to your area. If you want to know everything you need to know about playing real money poker online in your country, click on the correct link below.
Real Money US Poker
Real Money UK Poker
Real Money Australia Poker
Real Money India Poker
Real Money Canadian Poker
Real Money UK Poker
Real Money Australia Poker
Real Money India Poker
Real Money Canadian Poker
Real Money Online Poker Tournaments
The popularity of poker and online poker is greatly in part thanks to tournaments. The rush and excitement of this format of the game have drawn in tons of new players. Whether it’s the fact that you have capped losses, the excitement of the changing conditions, or the TV coverage that major events get, it’s clear that tournament poker is here to stay.
If you’d like to find out more information about the online poker tournament scene, the different games you can play, tournament poker site recommendations, and see some great free strategy guides, click the link below now. You’ll be taken to our dedicated Real Money Online Poker Tournament hub.
Real Money Mobile Poker
The ability to play poker from the comfort of your own home is already awesome enough. But the ability to get the exact same action from literally anywhere you are with a smart device and an internet or phone connection is even more awesome. Some real money poker sites are now offering you the ability to do just that. If you’ve ever been interested in getting action no matter where you are, we highly recommend you check out the mobile poker options we’ve put together for you below.
Choose the device that you typically travel with and select the appropriate button below. You’ll be taken to our dedicated pages where we’ll discuss what you need to know to get started and give you real money mobile site recommendations specifically for your device. Not only are you no longer tethered by the poker room, but you’re now not tethered by your home computer, either. As long as you have a phone or a tablet and a connection to the internet, you’re set to play.
The Final Word
Online poker has been growing exponentially for the past few decades and shows no real sign of letting up anytime soon. It’s never too late for you to join the bandwagon and get down on the action. With the information, resources, and site recommendations we’ve laid out for you above, you should have no problem finding a great real money poker site to try your hand at beating the competition. Who knows? Maybe we’ll see you at the final table of the WSOP Main Event next year. It all has to start somewhere.
Things are changing fast for online poker.
There are four states that have regulated games — Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania – plus legal, sweepstakespoker games in other areas. While the boom of 10 years ago is over, online poker for real money in the US is on the rise again.
This is a detailed guide to legal poker sites in the United States. We’ll provide you with information on the current legislative landscape, the best sites to play online poker and the different types of poker bonuses.
Best Online Poker Sites in 2020
Free poker vs. real money poker
As soon as real money is at stake, the game of poker transforms.
Play money poker involves seeing a flop, hitting hands and never folding when there is even a shot at winning the pot. With no incentive to fold or think strategically, it provides light entertainment at best.
Once real cash is involved, poker changes into a mental battle. Playing every hand and trying to hit, will quickly become a losing strategy.
Conversely, playing too few hands becomes predictable and easy to exploit. You’ll need to play a position, work out what your opponents’ bets mean and understand math concepts like odds and equity.
You can play online poker games for real money or for free. I can assure you that once you try for real money, free games will quickly lose its appeal. The beauty of real money poker is that you’ll never stop learning.
Even the biggest stars of the game are working on their strategy; poker takes five minutes to learn and a lifetime to master.
Is online poker legal in the US?
Poker has a long tradition in the US, from boom to bust. There is a new era in real money USA poker games as individual states license and regulate the games.
So far, there are four legal states for real money online poker: Nevada, Delaware, Pennsylvania (where sites have entered a testing phase on November 4, according to the PGCB) and New Jersey. These states require that a brick-and-mortar casino licenses the poker sites.
Three states share players – Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey — at 888 and WSOP online poker rooms. Players from all three states will meet at the tables, which allows for bigger tournaments (many with large, guaranteed prizepools) and a more extensive selection of cash games.
Pennsylvania online poker sites
Online gambling is already up and running in Pennsylvania in the form of PA sportsbooks, casinos and lottery games, but PA online poker is the latest to join the party. On Nov. 4, PokerStars began a soft launch phase that completed two days later. It is now fully operational, and more operators are expected to follow shortly, including WSOP and partypoker.
It has been more than two years since the omnibus gambling expansion was signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf in October 2017. This legislation made online poker in PA legal, along with online sportsbooks and casino games. Therefore, licenses for sites will be available to PA brick-and-mortar casinos.
In Pennsylvania, you’ll be able to play cash games and tournaments against other players through player pools; however, not with players from other regulated states.
Poker is already successful in states with smaller populations than Pennsylvania. The bigger pool of players will likely mean more choice, bigger tournament guarantees and more generous promotions compared to NewJersey and Nevada.
Seven casinos have Pennsylvania online poker licenses. Of these, several have announced partnerships with the major brands active in other states. Here are the known partnerships:
- MountAiryCasino: PokerStars
- SugarHouseCasino: Rush Street Interactive
- HollywoodCasino: IGT
- Harrah’sCasino: 888 (WSOP-branded)
- ParxCasinoandRacetrack: GAN/custom platform
- ValleyForge: partypoker
- WindCreek: TBD
When will online poker launch in PA?
PokerStars launched online poker on Nov. 4, becoming the first operator in the state.
Some sites are already in beta-testing mode but will need to get approval from the Pennsylvania Gambling Control Board (PGCB)before an official go-live. The board stated (in relation to casinos and sports betting) that it is in no hurry and want to ensure things are working 100% correctly before they give approvals.
That said, some of the popular PA poker sites may be available before the end of the year.
Here is what we know about each of the sites:
PokerStars PA (live): Its partnership is with Mount Airy Resort and Casino, where you can use the casino cage for deposits and withdrawals. PokerStars offers the best software of any online poker room, which includes apps and a downloadable desktop client. Innovations, including ZoomPoker, Spin and Go’s and progressiveknockout tournaments, will come with this new platform.
WSOP.com / 888 Poker: This brand uses the 888 Poker software along with the World Series of Poker branding. WSOP will partner with Harrah’s to bring a mix of tournaments and cash games to Pennsylvania. Unlike New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware, the player pools will not be shared. WSOP.com PA will be a stand-alone poker site and for use within state lines only. In Nevada, WSOP host online WSOP bracelet events. These are not expected in PA, though there should be plenty of qualifier games ready for the next series.
Partypoker PA: The “original” poker site is also active in New Jersey. In Pennsylvania, it will partner with the ValleyForge. You’ll be able to deposit via the casino cage there (as well as using electronic methods). Party is famous for its easy games. New and recreational players receive priority to promotions and the novel formats. In other states, players are pooled between separate brands, which work on the Party software. So far, there will only be a single poker site in PA.
Other poker room partnerships in PA which have been announced include Parx Casino with GAN. This will be a new platform, though the popularity of the live poker room at Parx should ensure that it gets plenty of traffic.
Another new platform will be through the Rush Street Interactive platform, which is operational for casino and sports betting (via SugarHouse and Rivers Casino), though poker will be new. Finally, there is a proposed poker partnership between Hollywood Casino and IGT.
New Jersey online poker sites
While New Jersey was not the first state to launch online poker, it was the first state with a large enough population to ensure numerous players in the games.
Following successful launches in Nevada and Delaware, 888 was among the first wave of NJ poker rooms. By the end of 2013, the competition was heating up. PokerStars then joined the fray late, after making a deal with the Department of Justice.
While PokerStars is the most influential single NJ online poker site, there are more players at the WSOP and 888 sites combined. Those sites share players from sites in Nevada and Delaware.
Another shared network includes partypoker, Borgata Poker and BetMGM. These brands only share players in New Jersey.
After this list, the other poker sites are too small to host more than a table or two at any one time.
More detail on the biggest poker sites in NJ:
- 888 Poker / WSOP.com: Experience in Nevada and Delaware meant that 888 was able to get up and running quickly in New Jersey. These poker rooms partner with Caesars Casino Atlantic City. Players share a common back end, which includes players logging on from WSOP.com in Nevada and three Delaware poker sites, too. You’ll get $20 free at either of these poker sites, plus a wide range of player promotions and specials.
- PokerStars: This site started later than the others, in 2016. It grew fast and now has a 38% market share. PokerStars partnered with Resorts Casino, where you can deposit via the casino cage. Using amazing software and events like the New Jersey Series of Online Poker helped catapult this brand over its longer-running rivals. New players can get $20 in free play simply for registering.
- Partypoker, Borgata Poker and BetMGM: Before the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006, partypoker was the most prominent poker site in the US. It returned in 2013, in partnership with Borgata Casino. The software might have changed, though this is still a popular site for recreational and amateur players. Borgata Poker and BetMGM combine players with partypoker within New Jersey. You can get a generous combination of a $25 no-deposit bonus and a $1,000 matched deposit to your first deposit at partypoker NJ.
Pala Poker also welcomes NJ players. Unfortunately, this site never got much traction, and games rarely run there.
Traffic at the more prominent sites will peak at around 250 cash-game players, and several times more at poker tournaments. While this is enough for the NJ online poker rooms to be able to offer lower- to mid-stakes games, it is not sufficient traffic for high stakes or too many poker variations. If you enjoy Texas Hold ’em at $1/$2 and below, you’ll be able to find plenty of action.
Tournaments feature a lot of smaller guaranteed pools throughout the week. The SundayMajor events have prize pools of around $100,000. There are events, including WSOP qualifiers and the New Jersey championship, that offer higher guarantees. You’ll find some innovative formats for tournaments, which include the popular progressive knockout tournaments, where your bounty increases the more players you knock out.
The major poker rooms in NJ are available via apps for Android or Apple mobile devices. For the best experience (especially if you play multiple tables), you can also download a desktopclient for Windows or Mac computers.
Nevada online poker rooms
There was a lot of excitement in 2012 when the first poker rooms went live in Nevada.
Before then, only tiny Delaware had online poker, which was limited by the population size. Nevada saw the first WSOP-branded poker room, which uses the popular 888 Poker software.
Initially, there were two competing online poker rooms in Nevada. UltimatePoker did not last, failing to gain traction and closing in 2014. There is a new poker site in Nevada in the form of real money online poker that South Point Casino owns. It has yet to gain any traction, and so it is not a viable option if you are looking for action.
WSOP, 888 and Caesars Entertainment
WSOP.com is a partnership with Caesars Entertainment. It runs the World Series of Poker and has successfully moved bracelet events online. These games feature part of the WSOP events, which run from May to early July each year.
At 3 million, Nevada does not have a significant population. It does benefit from a lot of visitors. You only need to be within state lines to enjoy poker at WSOP.com NV, with no requirement to be a permanent resident.
In 2016, player pools were combined with the 888/WSOP-powered poker sites in Delaware and New Jersey. This merger created the single biggest US-wide site. If legal clarification on the WireAct moves forward, WSOP.com is in a great position to add other states quickly to its player pool.
While the traffic is not high, there is no shortage of features at the WSOP.com Nevada online poker room. You’ll be able to enjoy cash games, tournaments and sit and go’s along with innovations, including Blast! sit and go’s, which have random prize pools that are only revealed after the game begins.
As you might expect, there are a lot of qualifier tournaments for the World Series of Poker at this site. New players get a 100% bonus matched to their first deposit at this site.
State poker sites: What are the differences?
To the untrained eye, all the legal US online poker sites look similar.
They all offer cash games, tournaments and a few novelty games. They all have comparable welcome bonuses, often mixing free play with big deposit offers.
When you get into the details, there are some essential differences. Aside from the different software, apps and promotions, here are the things that set the sites apart from each other:
- PartnerCasinos: Each regulated poker room needs a license holding partner from a brick-and-mortar casino. These vary, depending on the state. For example, PokerStars work with Resorts Casino in NJ, and Mount Airy Casino in PA.
- PooledPlayers: These work in two ways. Some combine players at two or more sites within a state. For example, you’ll play at the same tables via partypoker, Borgata Poker or BetMGM in New Jersey. Some brands also pool players across state lines. WSOP.com combines players from New Jersey, Nevada and Deleware, along with those playing at 888 NJ. WSOP has created the single biggest player pool in the US.
- Events and Specials: Tournament events are big news in the poker world. These allow for bigger buy-ins, bigger guaranteed prize pools and promotions like event-long leaderboards. Examples include the bracelet events at WSOP.com NV and the Championship of Online Poker event at PokerStars NJ. As the sites come into more states, expect these events to become even bigger.
- Games: Smaller player pools mean it is only possible to run the most popular formats for now. As online poker grows, or further states can pool their players, we can expect today’s Texas Hold’em and Omaha to expand into stud, draw and even mixed games.
- HowEasy: Poker is a game of relative skill levels. To win, you need to consistently play with people who are not as good as you. In Nevada, there is only one viable site, so making a selection of the individual tables are important. Where you do get a choice, you should be continually assessing which site(s) have the weakest player pools. Sites like PokerStars tend to attract more experienced players, while sites like partypoker (that restrict third-party software tools) tend to host more recreational players.
Outside of the regulated states, sweepstakes gambling laws allow for “real money” poker action.
Global Poker works by giving free virtual currency called “Sweeps Coins” to players that purchase play money coins.
With more states considering licensing poker, casino and sports betting online, the range of legal US poker sites will only grow in the future.
How do sweepstakes poker sites work?
Global Poker uses state gambling laws that cover sweepstakes contests. It brings real money poker action to states that have yet to regulate. While this is a workaround, it is perfectly legal and is becoming popular.
Since this poker room can’t take real money deposits for gambling, it gives you free Sweeps Coins alongside the purchase of play money coins. You can use Sweeps Coins to play poker. Each hand (or tournament) is considered to be an individual sweepstakes contest.
Once you have accumulated enough Sweeps Coins, you can swap it for dollars in the cashier and withdraw them to your bank account.
Taking advantage of poker bonuses
With the poker rooms competing to grow in the most prominent player pools, there are plenty of poker bonuses. These options range from free cash deals to matched bonuses and loyaltyschemes.
Keep in mind, you should always read the terms and conditions before accepting a poker bonus. You will find some significant variations in playthrough requirements and time available to complete the wagering.
You’ll see the most common types of poker bonuses to take advantage of in this list:
- No deposit bonuses: Some poker sites offer you a small amount of free cash to try out their real money games. This bonus is only for new accounts and gives you up to $30 for play. You’ll need to wager this several times before you can withdraw it. If you are good enough, you might be able to build a bankroll without needing to deposit at all.
- Matched welcome bonus: This is the industry standard bonus offer. Most sites give you a 100% matched bonus on your first deposit of up to $500. You’ll need to earn points from playing real money games and tournaments, which will incrementally clear your bonus.
- Free tournament entries: New depositors often get entries into free tournaments with guaranteed prizepools. Some poker rooms run these freerolls regularly.
- Loyalty bonus schemes: With loyalty schemes, you collect points while playing. These can move you up tiers or it can be a flat rate. You can cash in points for bonuses or tournament entries.
- Reload bonuses: If you ever deplete your poker bankroll, reload bonuses can help. These work in the same way as the welcome bonus offer, though sometimes have lower percentage matches.
- One-off promotions: What separates the good from the great poker rooms is the promos. Look for sites that look after their players with plenty of offers. These can include satellite qualifiers to the biggest live events.
Remember, you are not restricted to a single poker room. To get the best offers, it can pay to be selective, shifting your money around to take advantage of the best deals.
Which US poker sites offer real money poker apps?
Several of the state-regulated poker sites offer mobile poker apps alongside their desktop-software client. These apps allow for limited access, as it is hard to multi-table on a small screen.
If you do want to enjoy poker on the move, here are the best real money poker sites in New Jersey and Nevada:
- 888 Poker, WSOP-branded sites in Nevada and New Jersey
- Partypoker, Borgata Poker NJ
How to deposit at a real money US poker site?
To enjoy real money poker, you’ll need to get that initial bankroll on board.
When you choose legal, regulated poker rooms, a lot of options open up for you. By sticking to the best-known brands, you can be sure your funds are secure.
The easiest option is merely to use your regular debit or credit card. Making a poker deposit works precisely the same as making any purchase online. Inside the regulated states, nearly all banks will approve these transactions.
If you prefer it, you can buy prepaiddebit cards, or for some sites, you can apply for a branded debit card for their license-holding casino that guarantees fast deposits and withdrawals from then on.
Another set of deposit options using your bank account includes e-checks, bill pay or wiretransfers. The combination that is accepted will depend on which state-regulated online poker real money USA site you are playing.
With e-checks, a third party (usually a company called VIP Preferred) will verify you, allowing for instant transfers.
Bill pay works with a list of banks provided by each site. You follow the same process as for paying a utility bill. Wires are slower, though still have a place for large deposits.
Third-party-wallet services are perfect for poker fans that prefer to keep their banking separate from their gambling.
The best-known service is PayPal, though you will find Skrill and Neteller welcomed by poker rooms, too. While there is a small downside in terms of fees, the additional security these wallets provide makes them popular choices.
If the electronic options are not for you, you’ll be able to deposit with cash. Again, this does depend on which poker site you choose. Options include taking cash to the casino cage or using PayNearMe, which is available at 7-Eleven stores.
Software options at real money poker sites
Most poker rooms provide a few ways to access their games:
A full download: This is the ideal method if you are playing from a desktop computer or laptop. Once you download the software package, you get full functionality and smooth gaming (there is no need to initialize the games from scratch each time). Downloads are generally available for Windows and Apple computers.
Poker apps: The biggest brands, like 888 and PokerStars, have online poker apps. These offer a limited number of games you can enjoy on the go. It is hard to multi-table using an app, so expect a single-game format. Android poker apps are not available via the Google Play store; you’ll need to get those direct from the poker site.
Instant play: This is the least popular way of accessing the software. Sites allow form-limited gaming action in your web browser. These games will respond to your screen size, though they are not suitable for the smallest (smartphone) screens.
While the branding of each site is unique, there are some commonalities when it comes to getting around.
Sites split the major poker variations with cash games, tournaments and Sit ‘n Gos (SNG) at the top level of their navigation.
Once you access each area, you’ll find tabs or checkboxes that will help you narrow your search. This can be by buy-in level, table size or speed. Tournaments have further navigation to separate qualifiers and major events.
Top Poker Sites For Real Money
What separates the good from the great is the small software features. Smooth gaming, resizable tables and easy options to top up your stack make for a far better experience. PokerStars is considered by poker players to have the best software client. I also like the interface at the 888 Poker/WSOP brands.
Poker variations available
Traditionally, there are four types of poker you can play online with cash. Note that these are broad categories, each of which contains multiple poker game variants, speeds and small table size/rules/betting format changes.
No Limit Texas Hold ’em dominates the real cash poker scene. At least 80% of the action is in this format. Omaha follows, with the popularity of Pot Limit Omaha, Pot Limit Omaha 8 and Omaha 8 variants growing. Other forms, including stud and draw poker, are tiny by comparison.
The 4 main poker variations you can play online:
- Cash games: This is the traditional poker format, where the chips you play with have a direct monetary value. You’ll find full-ring and six-max games to be the most popular, though you can find other table sizes. You can find most of the cash game action at the micro stakes ($25 buy-in and under).
- Poker tournaments: This format has the most rule, structure variations. The basis is that you buy in for a pile of chips and play until one player has them all. The bet sizes increase to ensure action. Usually, 10% of the field are paid, with the biggest prize going to the winner.
- SNGs: While poker tournaments have big fields and scheduled start times, SNGs have a fixed size and start when all the seats are full. The basic format is one (nine-seat) table. Three players get paid in this format. Lottery SNGs, which are three-handed games with randomly selected prizepools up to 10,000x your buy-in, are now popular, too.
- Fast Fold Poker: This variation crosses cash game and tournament formats. Instead of sitting at a table, players are in pools. Each hand sees six to nine players combined from each pool (which is by buy-in). When you fold, you go straight to a hand with new players from your pool. This format requires a lot of players and is not widely available at the regulated US sites just yet.
Top Poker Sites For Real Money
A big appeal of the online poker real money USA sites is the range of buy-ins available. You can enjoy cash games where the blinds are pennies (as little as 1c / 2c or 2c / 5c). That means you can buy-in for a full stack for just $2. Most of the action is in the 5c / 10c to $1 / $2 blinds range. There are bigger buy-in games – especially at the 888/WSOP or PokerStars NJ.
You can join tournaments for $1 or less. The biggest weekly games take place online on Sundays, with guarantees of up to $100 available. Bigger real money poker rooms have special events, for example, the New Jersey Spring Championship of Online Poker, aka NJSCOOP, which features a week or more of significant guaranteed events.
How to cash out quickly
If you win a tournament or accumulate money in the cash games, you’ll need to get your money safely out of the poker rooms.
As a rule of thumb, the sites will ask you to use the same method you initially deposited with to return your money. This will not always be possible, in which case, an alternative (for example a paper check) is an option.
You can withdraw quickly using the e-wallet services like PayPal, Skrill or Neteller. If you are verified, then an ACH transfer will also send the funds to you quickly. Alternatives include paper checks, which they can send to your home.
All poker rooms will take a day or two to verify your withdrawal request. You will also need to have completed the ID verification process before you can withdraw.
Are poker sites safe? Are the deals fair?
If you have been around online poker for long, you are sure to have come across at least one player who is convinced that “online poker is rigged.” The fact is that billions of hands have been dealt, and tracking services (including individual player databases) have uncovered zero anomalies with the deal.
Add to this the requirement for regulated, legal sites to have their Random Number Generator software audited. You can feel 100% certain that you are getting a fair deal.
Safety and security of your deposit can depend on individual sites. With some of the biggest and most reputable global brands providing the technology for US poker rooms, I have absolutely no concerns in this area.
You can take simple security measures, for example, by not playing on shared machines, and making sure that the https header is showing on the poker site’s homepage.
Understanding KYC requirements at USA real money poker sites
Many players are happy to join a legitimate, regulated, legal USA poker room and then are surprised when it asks for backup documentation.
ID checks are part of a process of keeping online poker clean. Money laundering and fraud on any scale would mean online poker simply could not happen. Everyone has a role to play, and providing backup documents is a vital part of this process.
These legal poker websites will ask for proof of ID, proof of address and backups for your deposit method. Examples include a photo of the front of your credit card. You are welcome to black out all but the last four numbers if you prefer.
Know Your Customer, aka KYC, also helps prevent underage gambling, which is a critical component of responsible gaming. Other parts of this include links to help organizations, and the ability to self-exclude from a poker site.
Wrap up of online poker in 2020
Poker has come a long way since the dark days of 2011 when the Department of Justice chased away the remaining global giants. Four states have legal online poker (with Pennsylvania about to go live).
Also, sweepstakes poker is available in many more states under existing laws. Better still, there is a growing list of additional states considering their regulation.
You can take advantage of bonus offers which range from entirely free cash to matched offers and free tournament entries. Once you join, you’ll find a lot of action focused on Texas Hold ’em and covering many poker formats.
As the player pools grow between the states, the choice of game, size of the tournaments and number of niche variations can only get better.